AMD defectors to Nvidia lose legal challenge

Court rejects motion to dismiss claims

A group of AMD traitors who crawled across the 38th parallel to join Kim Jensen Huang’s Democratic People’s Republic of Nvidia have suffered a setback in their legal battle against their former employer.

The defectors tried to dismiss claims alleging that they disclosed AMD trade secrets and urged former co-workers to join them, in what can only be described as sedition. The court didn’t see it that way, and it seems to believe that they didn’t come empty handed. However, the judge did grant a request to throw out a claim alleging unfair competition.

AMD maintains that the ex-employees transferred in excess of 100,000 files relevant to AMD’s GPU business in the days leading up to their departure. An AMD spokesperson said the facts are clearly laid out in their pleadings and supported by forensic evidence.

The files included confidential information on AMD licensing agreements with major customers, proposed licensing strategies and technical information on new products and processes being developed by AMD, reports Bloomberg.

Nvidia is not a defendant in the suit, but the whole mess is obviously becoming a big PR problem for the chipmaker.